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Maloney Praises House Passage Bill to Combat Online Sex Trafficking

Feb 27, 2018

Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after House passage of the bipartisan H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), Congresswomen Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12),co-chair and co-founder of the Human Trafficking Caucus, released the following statement

“The House took a big step today in the fight to combat online sex trafficking by passing this bill and I’m proud to have worked with Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) to introduce this bill and get justice for trafficking victims. For too long, websites like Backpage.com that actively facilitate sex trafficking advertising have been able to escape accountability for their roles in selling trafficking victims, thanks to ambiguity in our federal laws. FOSTA corrects that by making it clear that internet companies that facilitate sex trafficking are not shielded by federal law, while also giving states better tools to crack down on these horrendous crimes and empowering trafficking survivors and their families to seek justice. I hope this bipartisan legislation will pass in the Senate with broad bipartisan support as it did in the House.”